e Rosi The
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Wedding Planner
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IDEAS from
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All About Ceremonies Ideas | Places | Legals
Everything you need to plan your wedding in Ireland or Abroad
Park Hotel ai Cappuccini The Park Hotel ai Cappuccini is a skilfully restored 17th Century monastery. Set in a secluded location, yet only a stone’s throw from the historic centre of the beautiful medieval town Gubbio. The Park Hotel ai Cappuccini is a felicitous integration of ancient spaces combined with modern comforts. Surrounded by its own park, the hotel is the ideal place for your wedding party.
Villa Benveduti A luxury country residence built in the second half of the 18th century, today Villa Benveduti is perfectly restored. It was once the summer residence of the aristocratic Benveduti family. This magnificent house, decorated with precious frescos, with its stylish elegance is set in a beautiful park and is the perfect setting for wedding receptions. HOTEL & VILLA CONTACT: Park Hotel ai Cappuccini Via Tifernate 06024 Gubbio - PG - Italy Tel. +39 075 9234323 Fax +39 075 9220323
info@parkhotelaicappuccini.it
www.parkhotelaicappuccini.it
Editorial This magazine is a little bit different than other wedding magazines – it’s intimate. It’s me sharing professional wedding planning tips, advice and ideas and I’ve featured some of my weddings in this issue to inspire you. I plan destination weddings into Ireland and destination weddings out of Ireland. Last year I had wedding parties come to Ireland from: Holland, Beirut, Russia, Australia, New Zealand, India, Canada and the four corners of the USA. And I organised for couples to go to New York, Italy, Malta and Austria for their weddings. In this issue I also focus in on your wedding ceremony as I often find it’s the most neglected part of the wedding planning process even though it is the most important part of the day. As a picture paints a thousand words I have kept words to a minimum. The photos tell the love story better than I could ever write it! Enjoy!
Rosie
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CONTENTS Rosie’s Real Weddings
42
Pg 10
Russian Wedding In Ireland
Pg 28
Central Wedding In New York
Outdoor ceremony in a ruin and a reception in castle grounds
Central Station ceremony and Central Park photos
Pg 40
Pg 55
Snowy Wedding In Austria A white wedding just for two on Valentine’s Day!
Medieval Wedding on the Cliffs of Moher A themed wedding on the edge of the world!
Pg 66
Romantic Wedding In Italy Fabulous Florence just for two
62 8 Rosie’s Wedding Tips & Advice Pg 8
Say It Like You Mean It! Rosie’s Tip on the most important part of your wedding day. How to say your wedding vows!
Pg 27
78
Why Size Does Matter! How to prune your guest list
Pg 51
A Clucking Great Idea Hen parties with a difference
Pg 52
Sand Ceremonies What they are and how to do one
Pg 62
Bound To Be The art of the ancient hand fastening ceremony
Pg 64
The Who’s and Where’s of Ceremonies in Ireland The legals you need to know when starting to plan
Pg 76
Wedding on Richard Branson’s Necker Island The possibilities and the costs
All Content © Rosie Meleady 2014
Rosie The Wedding Planner
Issue 03 Spring 2014
Editor: Rosie Meleady Layout and Design: Magazine Creation Academy Proofreading: Mary McCauley
Many thanks to all the couples who shared their weddings!
Your guests will be on the go all morning so instead of leaving them standing around, starving after your ceremony, how about having a beautiful vintage tea van, decked in 1940s props and serviced by two vintage dressed 1940s servers! Not only do we serve tea but also barista style coffee, hot chocolate, lemonade or juice and homemade treats for all the guests (think Victoria sponge, lemon drizzle cake, etc.). Oh, and did I mention their pop-up china table service for the bridal party? It makes a wonderful photo opportunity! Click here for more info!
Cool wedding photo props! Click for more info!
e u q i n U A or v a F The Keyring Memories team arrive 35 minutes before the ceremony and discreetly take a photo of each guest as they arrive. The photos are then placed into key rings with a personalised message from the bride and groom and placed on the tables before guests sit down for dinner. So each guest gets a surprise photo momentum of themselves at your wedding, before the party starts! They also give you a disc of the images captured so you are sure to have one photo at least of everyone who was at your wedding! Click Here for More Info!
rshanaghy@theg.ie | Web: www.theghotel.ie
Say It Like You Mean It, Damn It! So many couples get caught up in planning the minutest details of their day and overlook putting time into the most important thing of the day – the time you both declare your undying love for each other and go from being friends to officially becoming related! I cringe when I see a couple with their head stuck in an order of service booklet stumbling over the most important words of their lives, when their eyes should be glued to each other and the words said with meaning and passion.
So one of the things I always say to couples is to try and memorise your vows before the wedding day. Practise saying them out loud in front of the mirror or to a teddy. Most brides imagine the time of their vows to be like a film set, and if you are one of them treat it like a movie scene with both of you having the lead roles! All actors and actresses learn the lines beforehand of the all important scenes so be sure you do too – and make it an Oscar winning performance ... unlike a movie you don’t get to do retakes.
Real Weddings From Russia With Love A destination wedding with some close friends, 3000 miles away from home in a country they always wanted to visit.
Who: Natalia and Nikita A fashion photographer and a paperback writer From: St Petersburg, Russia To: Huntington Castle, Ireland Photography: Dmitri Korobtsov and Ronan Skelly Catering: Phelim Byrne Catering Services
They contacted me from Russia. A
ruin,
a castle, peony roses, outdoors, in Ireland, candlelit, under trees. Six weeks later I gave them their
Perfect Day. - Rosie The Wedding Planner
Felicity Jones
Felicity Jones type writer
Felicity Jones BiauKai
Our guests say it was the most beautiful and most unusual wedding they have ever been to. You are a great organiser; you got a very good feel for what we wanted and realised it perfectly. It was lovely decor, very beautiful flowers, wonderful catering. Such emotions and memories will last a lifetime! Thank you again! - Natalia and Nikita, Russia
Your Red Carpet Moment Do you want to feel like a Hollywood goddess or a sexy Victoria Secret Angel on your wedding day?! … then Lydia O’Carroll is the hairstylist for you! Having worked in LA and NYC for the last nine years on hairstyling supermodels and top celebrities for red carpet events, Lydia is now back in Ireland and available for your wedding! Lydia has styled the hair of world famous models for the Victoria Secret Catwalk Shows and made celebrities look their best for the Grammys and their movie premieres. Your wedding day is your Red Carpet Moment so let Lydia make you look and feel like a movie star!
Lydia O’Carroll Hairstylist of Hollywood Stars and Victoria Secret Models
Click For Lydia’s Website Click to Email: Lydia O'Carroll Tel: 087 3870140 Click for her Facebook page
Now in Ireland and Available for your Wedding Day!
I met with a couple recently who were just starting their wedding plans. “We don't want a big wedding; something intimate,” stated the bride. They both nodded. “So how many guests approximately?” I asked. And simultaneously they answered: Groom: “About 30”, Bride: “124”. Yes, one of the first things you need to consider when planning a wedding is the size of the wedding, but you also need to know how both the bride and groom (or each other) interpret 'Big', 'Intimate', 'Small'. Does intimate mean just the bride and groom or include all their siblings, close friends, cousins, aunts, uncles – basically everyone but Uncle Charlie's new wife who no one likes? An estimated guest number will do at the start as you need to know how many people you need to fit comfortably into the ceremony and reception venues before you start looking at venues. As time goes on you will need to define the list numbers before you order invites, favours and the cake. Generally reception venues need to know an accurate guest number 2–4 weeks before the wedding date. To help you edit your list I'm sharing with you my easy wedding planner guest list editing guide:
Click To Access My Guest List Snippet Chart!
Type to enter text
NEW YORK Concrete jungle where dreams are made ...
Real Weddings Vintage New York Something Old: Campbell Apartment Grand Central. Something New: The City of New York. Something Blue: Her Amazeballs Shoes. Central Park and Grand Central Station. Art Nouveau. Funky and young but vintage. Reportage style photography. Autumn leaves.
Who: Laura and Paul From: Ireland To: New York Services: Rosie’s Suitcase Weddings
When I plan destination weddings I choose service providers who understand the mind of a destination bride and groom. Photography is so important; you want to ensure the photographer includes the surroundings and absorbs the atmosphere, the movement of the location, into your wedding photos. They need to know the area, know how to get from A to B without wasting your time, and know the people. - Rosie The Wedding Planner
Thanks so much, Rosie! We had an amazing day ... absolutely fantastic. Campbell Apartment was stunning and the whole day was just perfect. – Laura and Paul
Rosie’s Weddings in the Big Apple
Want One? Click Here and Get Rosie’s Help!
PORTUGAL A Marble-ous Location!
Most tourists when visiting Portugal, will stick to the coast and miss so much of what Portugal has to offer by not venturing inland. Your wedding should give guests something a little different than a normal 'holiday' experience. So if you are considering Portugal check out the Alentejo Marmoris Hotel & Spa! The Alentejo Marmoris Hotel & Spa is a hotel like no other. Located in the historic village of Vila Viçosa famous for its marble. With 45 spacious and elegant rooms and suites the hotel can be your exclusive wedding retreat. Many rooms have an outdoor terrace and all have individually designed marble bathrooms. The hotel is a half an hour away from the shops of Badajoz and the town of Evora, a unique walled town with a heady mix of sights. It is also close to Azenhas da Seda, in Montemor – a fabulous river with waterfalls where all kinds of water sports can be done. A perfect place to extend the guests’ stay for one more day! April to July is perfect wedding weather. There are often warm, sunny days in autumn. The Alentejo Marmoris Hotel & Spa can put together weddings for up to 150
people in the Pink saloon. At the hotel, cocktails can be organised around the pool, the pool can then be covered and the beautifully lit outdoor reception can be held on top of the pool! Religious and civil ceremonies can be held in Portugal. Symbolic ceremonies can be held outdoors beside the hotel pool or by the river and waterfalls of Azenhas da Seda. For more info contact: Susete Alves Alentejo Marmoris Hotel & SPA Tel: + 351 937 15 70 41 www.alentejomarmoris.com
Real Weddings Nice Day For A White Wedding
Blue skies, powder white snow. Just for two on Valentine’s Day. Chiffon, bridal snow boots, vintage shrug and red roses of course. Skiing optional, log fires, wooden cabins and lots of romance a must. Wanted: A Snowbound Elopement Who: Shirley and Stephen From: Ireland To: Austria Civil Ceremony and Services: Included in a complete 7 day package by Rosie The Wedding Planner
the most perfect wedding day and honeymoon in Austria. With just the two of us, we wouldn't have changed a thing. We We had
both want to do it all over again. The family and staff at the hotel couldn't have been nicer and so helpful,
really
friendly and made us feel so welcome. They really made
our day soooo
special. The hotel itself was gorgeous ... I couldn't fault it.
If it wasn't for you, Rosie, we couldn't have done it. Our
special day was made
possible with all your help. So a HUGE BIG THANK YOU to you. - Shirley and Stephen
s ’ e osi
R
Suitcase Weddings
Stress-FREE Destination Wedding Planning!
• Italy • New York • Austria www.runawaybrideandgroom.com www.theweddingplanner.ie rosie@weddingplanner.ie
Weddings Take Centre Stage in Macroom! The Castle Hotel and The Briery Gap Theatre in Co. Cork unite to offer a truly unique wedding venture! Have your civil ceremonies in the romantic, theatrical setting of The Briery Gap, followed by your wedding reception at the 4 Star Castle Hotel, located directly across the road in the old world market town of Macroom.
If you are looking for a less dramatic and more serene wedding ceremony, The Castle Hotel can help you organise your ceremony in Ireland’s prettiest little church! This is a Catholic church in an idyllic location close to the hotel. The church is small, so it is suitable for intimate weddings followed by a lavish wedding banquet and a comfortable stay at The Castle Hotel.
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For More Info Contact: The Castle Hotel www.castlehotel.ie Tel: 026 41074
A Clucking Great Idea! A cookery session for your hen party might sound a bit ICA-ish at first, but there is no better way to kick off the day, bond new and old pals, laugh until you cry and have some really tasty food before you hit the town! Blackstairs Eco Trails has a really great and unique option for you to go wild ... literally.
Are you looking for something different, more original than Lplates and chocolate willies for your hen? If so how about cooking up a storm?
surrounding breathtaking wilderness! The Hen will then roll up her sleeves and turn these delicious wild foods into sumptuous pestos, fritters, salads and other treats aided by her clucking hens who will do her bidding. You will be finished by 4pm full of great food and ready for the evening in one of the great surrounding towns!
Set in the foot of the Blackstairs Mountains in South Carlow (24 miles from Kilkenny and Carlow, 65 from Dublin and 35 from Waterford). The Old Rectory is a beautiful and Celebrity chef Phelim Byrne also luxurious venue with a recently hosts Hen Party cookery sessions in renovated 1830s Old Barn beautiful manor houses around completely modernised for Foraging for safe wild foods groups and hen Elegant Hen and cooking them up into parties. Pestos, Sloe Gin, Rowan Berry Parties for Schnapps and more! The Hen and her Elegant Brides flock will arrive at Old Rectory, Borris, Co Carlow 11.30am for a www.blackstairsecotrails.ie deluxe Brunch. This will be Tel: 087 270 71 89 followed by ‘foraging’ for Hen Parties to Crow about! delicious safe €40 per person up to 10 people. wild food in the Over 10 – 10% discount.
How To Perform A Wedding Sand Ceremony The trend of the inclusion of a Wedding Sand Ceremony during the wedding ceremony is growing every year. It’s a ceremony full of symbolism and the end result is a lasting keepsake. The blending of the sand symbolises the union of the couple as the separate coloured sands, once poured into the unity vase, can never be put back into their separate vases again. They are forever entwined just as with the lives and love of the bride and groom. Before or during the ceremony the celebrant can explain the meaning. Each participant in the sand ceremony has a vase or bottle of coloured sand – each has a different colour sand. The groom will commence the ritual by pouring a portion of his unity sand into a central glass vase to create a bottom layer. The bride will follow by pouring a portion of her unity sand into the same central vase to create a second layer. (If children are involved they will pour their sand in between layer two and three.) The groom then adds more of his unity sand to create another layer. The bride continues to add more of her unity sand to make a fourth layer. To complete the Wedding Sand Ceremony, the bride and groom seal their union by pouring the balance of their wedding sand simultaneously into the central vase. If children are involved they will also pour their remaining sand in at this time.
A Rosie Wedding Tip!
When you are buying your Wedding Sand Ceremony Kit choose one that has a lid or some way of sealing the final result. There are wide neck open top vases in a lot of kits which are not always practical. What happens is, when the wedding ceremony is over and everyone has left the venue, someone has to collect your beautifully layered sand vase. This involves them moving it and often a rushed car journey to a reception.
I usually pack the top with bubble wrap and then tape it in place to stop the sand from moving or worse – spilling (argh). However, your ‘sand vase collector’ will probably be a guest and they probably won’t have bubble wrap and tape in their bag so keep the collection and moving of the vase in mind when choosing your Sand Ceremony Kit. I’ve gathered the biggest selection of sand ceremony kits available online here to make your choosing and ceremony sand kit shopping easier. Click here to view and buy.
Real Weddings Medieval on Cliffs of Moher The breathtaking Cliffs of Moher on a sunny day. Kilts and cloaks. Medieval velvet dresses. Irish trad musicians. A relaxed ceremony with some friends. Whiskey flasks and a private bus tour of Ireland.
Wanted: Medieval Themed Wedding on Cliffs of Moher Who: Carrie and Craig From: Michigan, USA To: West of Ireland Photography: Ronan Skelly
Unusual and unique choice of
costumes lend themselves to dramatic and fun photo opportunities! With cloaks for the girls and
kilts for the boys,
Carrie and Craig really made their wedding their wonderful day their way. - Rosie The Wedding Planner
Bound To Be ... Carrie and Craig choose to have a traditional hand fastening ceremony. Before wedding ceremonies became church events in Europe around the 17th Century, ceremonies normally took place across the village anvil or in woodland. The couple始s hands were symbolically tied together and this is where the term 驶to tie the knot始 originated! In recent years, the popularity of this ceremony has been reintroduced as part of a civil ceremony or non-church wedding. During a hand fastening ceremony, the celebrant invites the bride and groom to view the hands of the other as a gift and then drapes lengths of ribbon or cord over their hands and ties them loosely while saying:
“These are the hands of your best friend, young and strong and full of love for you, that are holding yours on your wedding day, as you promise to love each other today, tomorrow and for eternity. These are the hands that will work alongside yours as together you build your future. These are the hands that will passionately love you and cherish you through the years, and with the slightest touch will comfort you like no other. These are the hands that will tenderly hold your children. These are the hands that will help you to hold your family as one. And lastly, these are the hands that even when wrinkled and aged will still be reaching for yours, still giving you the same unspoken tenderness with just a touch. Our wish for you today is that both of you will use these hands to build a marriage where all your dreams come true.”
“Rosie, thanks again for making our day perfect! Of all of the vendors we went through, you were able to get what we wanted and make everything happen perfectly! I didn’t have to hold your hand and walk you through every step of the process reminding you that we didn’t want a big fancy wedding. It is very rare that we find someone who can understand us, and do what we want; not what they think we want. You managed to pull everything off perfectly.” – Carrie and Craig (Michigan, USA) Cliffs of Moher Wedding
www.patdillane.com Phone: 087 228 2490 Email: patdillane@msn.com
The Who’s and Where’s
of Ceremonies in Ireland
Both church and civil ceremonies are recognised as legally binding in Ireland. A civil ceremony is performed by a registrar of marriages employed by the State. These are public servants, they work from Monday to Friday and some are only available one or two days per week to conduct wedding ceremonies. No religious readings, mentions of God or other deities, hymns or religious symbols of any kind are permitted during civil ceremonies. Civil ceremonies can only take place in approved buildings, not in private houses or outdoors.
If you want a legally binding outdoor ceremony in Ireland you will need to use a religious solemniser of marriages who is a member of a church body that allows their ministers to perform outdoor ceremonies. There are a few churches who allow their ministers to do legally binding outdoor ceremonies. The Spiritualist Union of Ireland and Grace Christian Church are two you could check out. You can have a symbolic ceremony indoors, outdoors, in private homes, anywhere you wish! I’d highly recommend Pat Dillane for gorgeous symbolic ceremonies.
Dear Rosie, I am still recovering from what was quite possibly the most exhilarating week of my life! … Thank you for all you did to make such an incredible experience possible for us and for our families. I keep telling everyone the day was as close to perfect as anyone could ever hope for and I mean that genuinely. When I felt paralyzed by the great unknown ahead, you kept us on track, and what a beautiful place it brought us to! Many, many thanks!
– Sarah Grapentine Wedding at Coolcarrigan Church, Kildare.
Real Weddings Romantic Wedding in Italy A Wedding For Two. In Tuscany. An intimate wedding ceremony. Photo shoot in Florence. Champagne. A historic villa. Roses and pearls.
Wanted: Wedding in Italy for Two Who: Anna and Jonathan From: Texas, USA To: Florence Photographer: Vincenzo Errico
Do You Want A Gorgeous Wedding In Italy?! Then Get Rosie’s FREE Wedding In Italy Planner! CLICK HERE TO GET YOUR FREE COPY!
• Fabulous Venues • Great Services • Regions • Ideas, Tips + More!
Everything you need to plan your wedding in Italy!
Wedding on
Richard Branson’s
Necker Island Okay, we all remember the classic 2011 movie scene where Kate Winslet threw the billionaire’s elderly mother across her shoulder and carried her out of the burning luxury beach villa to safety in the middle of the night on the hideaway deserted Caribbean island? ... No wait, I’m mixing reality up with fantasy again. The good news is that since Kate the Brave saved Sir Richard Branson’s mother from his ‘house’ that burnt to a crisp in the fire on Necker Island, the Balinese style villa has been rebuilt with no expense spared making it more luxurious than its predecessor.
The accommodation, as you would expect, is absolutely superb. Necker is a 74 acre luxury resort and one of the British Virgin Islands, so as you can imagine, the villa offers amazing views of both the Atlantic and the Caribbean. If you’re prepared to spend big, you can now have your dream wedding in this Caribbean paradise. When you take your wedding vows on this exclusive private island paradise you will be following in the footsteps of the rich and famous. Not only did Sir Richard and his wife Joan get hitched here, in 1989 (10 years after he bought it), Larry Page, one of Google’s
founding members, married his girlfriend Lucy Southworth on the island in 2007. Before we talk about the all-important cost, let’s look at what your Necker Island dream wedding could look like. The wedding ceremony can be as informal or as formal as you like. There are several different island locations for you to choose from, depending on your preference and the size of your party. One of the more popular locations on Necker for larger groups of up to 100 people are the western beaches. For your reception, how about a tikitorch lit party on Bali Hi Beach? Or there’s a huge Jacuzzi on the main beach, soaking up to 30 guests at one time, and an enormous crocodile shaped table to hold all your party food and drink. The master suite alone measures a whopping 1500 square feet.
From your two-person Jacuzzi or outdoor stand alone bath, you can sip champagne while gazing at the panoramic views. Or if you don’t mind heights, there’s a designer crow’s nest on the roof. There are also six other houses on the island, all boasting views of the spectacular scenery. Weddings on Necker Island don’t come cheap. One night on the island will cost you a cool $62,000 for up to 30 guests, and that’s not including the wedding. If your wedding party includes more than 30 guests, accommodation can be arranged on the neighbouring islands. There are so many thematic options for your actual wedding. Included in all of the wedding packages will be your marriage license from the British Virgin Islands and getting the local pastor to the island to perform your ceremony. Canapés after the ceremony are included, as is the sumptuous wedding meal.
Some of the options available for the premium packages include your wedding cake, which is prepared by the island chefs, flowers, a photography package, and wedding keepsakes for your guests. Professional make-up artists and hair stylists can be arranged as well. And if you want your wedded bliss to start off with a bang, the lovely people on Necker will set up a fabulous fireworks display. If you’re looking for real island atmosphere, how more romantic and Caribbean can you get than a steel band playing your favourite song as you take the trip down the aisle.
If you’re staying more than just your wedding night, there’s a host of activities for you to take part in. Pool parties, sand parties, BBQs by the sea, or just taking a leisurely stroll around the island in search of flamingos.
Perfect and Beautiful Meditteranean Weddings In Malta! Contact: Pat at Perfect Weddings Email: Â
info@perfectweddings malta.com
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